A new Treaty?

“I am ready to tackle the difficulties that could arise especially during the final phase of the negotiations. But one thing is clear: our task is not to change the mandate we have received” from the summit in June, “but to transform it into a new treaty”, says Portuguese Premier JOSÉ SOCRATES , who currently chairs the EU Council, which has already prepared a draft text. “We will present it to the Foreign Ministers of the 27 on the inauguration of the Intergovernmental Conference on 23 July”. GREEN LIGHT FROM THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. A few days before the opening of the IGC, convened by the heads of state and of government during their last summit in Brussels, discussions and official statements and declarations of intent are multiplying. The European Parliament, Socrates himself, the College of Commissioners have all expressed their views this week. Meeting in Strasbourg, the EP voted on the Intergovernmental Conferences on Wednesday and endorsed it with a large majority (526 in favour, 138 against, 26 abstentions): the document acknowledges the renunciation “of the ambition to create a single constitutional treaty” and the symbols of the EU. MEPs, on the other hand, support the “salvaging of the substance of the Constitution”, and its incorporation in the future treaty. The amendments rejected include the one that asked for the holding of a European referendum to approve the treaty. “The current President of the Council – declared the President of the EP HANS-GERT POETTERING – has the full support of the European Parliament”: the main objective remains that of “reforming the common institutions” and “making their action more simple, effective and transparent”. The new treaty should enter into force before the European elections in June 2009. COMPLETING THE TREATY “WITH URGENCY”. “I recognize and welcome the support given to me by the EU institutions and by the political groups that sit in the Parliament of the Union”, said José Socrates in Strasbourg on 11 July. “Our task is to complete the treaty and to do so with some urgency”. The Portuguese Premier then underlined his determination to close the IGC before the summit of 18-19 October in Lisbon. With regard to the controversy over the procedures for national ratification of the treaty, Socrates explained: “I am convinced that each country must decide on its own procedure for ratification. Whether it be by parliamentary vote or by referendum, the important thing” is that this decision be made “in the short term”. He then specified: “I expect all states to cooperate in this effort” and “I think we won’t have particular problems, not even in Poland”. WHO DOES WHAT IN THE UNION. “Reforming Europe for the 21st century”: that’s the title of the document that the Commission published at the start of the week, in view of the IGC. As already expressed on various occasions by the President of the Commission JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO , the Executive approves the mandate conferred by the Council on the Intergovernmental Conference; emphasizes its most significant aspects; and asks for a rapid conclusion to achieve the entry into force of the new Treaty in 2009. “There is widespread political consensus – comments Barroso – on the fact that the mandate should be respected in its entirety and that the most important acquisitions be inserted in the future Treaty”. According to the Commission, the main innovations concern the “realization of a more democratic and transparent EU”, with a greater role assigned to the EP and to the national parliaments. In additions “citizens need to know exactly what is being done in the EU”, and the degree of responsibility of the institutions needs to be increased. At the same time – continued Barroso – “we need to aim at a more efficient Europe endowed with simplified institutions and procedures”, on the basis of “fairer voting regulations”. EXPLAINING INNOVATIONS TO CITIZENS. The Commission’s document says that the future treaty ought to contribute to a “Europe of rights and values, solidarity and security”. On this point the Swedish Vice-President, MARGOT WALLSTROM , explains that “the treaty will give binding value (with the exception of Great Britain) to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which brings together the civil, political, economic and social rights that the EU pledges to respect”. Cooperation in the fields of security, energy and environmental policy, civil protection, public health and humanitarian aid to the poor countries will also be reinforced. “The reformed treaty – say the Commission’s document – will also permit the EU to make its voice heard in its relations with its world partners” through “a coherent foreign policy”. Barroso confirms the hope of “reaching the first results of the IGC already by the European Council in October, so as to proceed rapidly to national ratification. But at the same time we will have to explain the treaty, its contents and innovations to citizens and act to create concrete results. Because citizens are expecting just that” from the EU.